The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to a protected information stream allocation using a virtualized platform using an information handling system.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
IHS architecture platforms have traditionally followed a well defined development evolution based on the Win Tel/x86 architecture. FIG. 4 illustrates a prior art embodiment of an IHS architecture including applications, an operating system and graphics hardware. However, virtualization is a software technology that is rapidly transforming the information technology (IT) landscape and fundamentally changing the way that people handle information using IHSs. Broadly, virtualization is an ability to allow software applications/operating systems to operate on IHS hardware remotely, but as if it were local. This evolution has unique challenges when applying a virtualization architecture to small, mobile compact embedded (CE) devices.
Using virtualization systems in a CE device allows the ability for users to add features, applications or other capabilities to their IHS by adding virtual modules. In this way, the virtual modules enable the user to completely change the personality or functionality of the IHS. These virtual functionality modules generally share hardware resources. Security of data and content which flows into and out of these functional modules and guaranteed allocation of resources for resource heavy applications, are unique challenges to CE devices.
For example, challenges in offering a virtualization enabled CE device (e.g., one with Blu-ray or other video capabilities) include an issue of how to obfuscate the content stream coming from the video device. Another issue in offering a virtualization enabled CE device includes how to support multiple protected streams. In other words, if a user connects additional virtual machines that output a protected stream to the host, (e.g., gaming virtual machine), then there needs to be a way to protect the streams of content coming from the gaming virtual machine as well as the video device. Yet another issue in offering a virtualization enabled CE device includes how to allocate the appropriate graphics processor unit (GPU) resources to the video and the premium content virtual machines so they do not fight for resources of the IHS. A further issue in offering a virtualization enabled CE device includes how to message to the customer if resource re-prioritization is required. These issues illustrate problems with offering a virtualization enabled CE device.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved protected information stream allocation using a virtualized platform absent the disadvantages discussed above.